Soapbox: Healing the NHS
30 April 2008 | Steve Bagshaw
In this week’s soapbox, consultant Neil Thornton explains some of the problems faced in revamping NHS procurement.
"To assist in delivering the agenda required to become world-class
commissioners, Primary Care Trusts are increasingly recognising the need to have
access to purchasers. Existing NHS buyers may have to decide on which
side of the fence they sit."
How can buyers best manage how much time and support they give their colleagues?
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By spending their time giving support to areas of key strategic importance in delivering what has been targeted, if that relates to their job. Existing NHS buyers should do what they are employed to do and this decides what fence they stand by the side of, not which side of a fence they sit on
If a re-organisation or recruitment into a field and division arises then the buyer can take that, stay where they are (if they can choose to do so) or move on. Sorry, but it is the fact that buyers in the NHS are expected to hop around numerous sites, groups and divisions, commodity markets, job roles and organisations, etc that shows up the haphazard approach of expecting a buyer for as large an organisation as the NHS to be as suited to national procurement of consumables as assisting with PFIs etc ad infinitum.
What a ridiculous thing to suggest that the buyers will have much say anyway – the employer will decide. It hasn’t worked in the NHS yet, but it works for structured organisations with consistent plans. I suppose that suggests the problem is neither at PCT or employee level in the long-term…